Exploration of - League of Women Voters

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Exploration of - League of Women Voters
The Voter
                                THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS®
                                  OF MENDOCINO COUNTY
                                       February 2021
Cindy Plank and Nancy Kleiber, Presidents                         Jary Stavely and Lee Tepper, Editors

February meeting …

Exploration of
    Redistricting
                                The League’s next meeting, February. 9 at 6:00 PM on Zoom, will
                                feature a presentation on Redistricting by California League Board
                                veteran Helen Hutchison. Redistricting is a key focus for the State
                                League this year, as new information from the 2020 census affects the
                                number and shapes of Congressional and Legislative districts. The
                                League “believes that districts should be drawn by politically
Tuesday, February 9th,
                                independent special commissions that use fair criteria to help keep
at 6:00 PM on Zoom:
                                communities intact and to ensure that everyone is equally
Click here for the link         represented,” and it was a key leader in establishing California’s
                                independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, “in order to ensure
                                that the process is transparent, the players are accountable,
                                partisanship is minimized, and our election district maps are drawn
                                fairly.” The LWVC website goes on to state that “the League works
                                for fair maps at every level of government. California’s state-level
                                independent, non-partisan redistricting system has garnered national
and click the calendar          recognition.” It is proud to have built in rules to guarantee that
to see other upcoming           Commission members reflect California’s diversity.
events
                                The Mendocino County League is pleased to
                                have Helen join us again on Zoom. Please
                                join in on the second Tuesday of this month,
                                as she shares recent developments in re-
                                apportionment on the state level, and how
                                communities can work for fair district
                                boundaries on the local level as well.
                                Questions and thoughtful discussion are
  Page 1                        encouraged, and are sure to take place.
Exploration of - League of Women Voters
President’s message

 A Time for Recovery
                            Intentionally or not, over the last four years we’ve all become
                            political junkies. We have, on a daily basis, been receiving (and
                            coming to need) ever increasing doses of political hyperbole and
                            theater. We started by encountering the unusual and the
                            unconventional, slid our way up to norm-shattering surprises, and
                            ended with the inconceivable, reprehensible, and unconstitutional
                            events of January 6.
                            Now we have to go through rapid withdrawal back to the
                            everyday business of good governance. I feel sorriest for the late
                            night talk show hosts, but find it’s not much easier for myself.
                            How can the filling of potholes in Washington (or on your street)
                            compare to a late-breaking, insulting Twitter message. It’s not
                            fake news, but is it newsworthy? Yes, it is. We need to help each
                            other through this withdrawal process. Share with us the real
                            news, the small victories, the undramatic progress in your
                            neighborhood and town. Post it on our Facebook page (https://
by Nancy Kleiber            www.facebook.com/LWVMendo1). Come to our meeting on
                            February 9 [see p.1]. Let’s recover together.

Engaging with Government
Beyond electoral politics
                        by LWV of Montgomery County, Indiana
                        In view of the upcoming meeting on redistricting, and the President’s
                        reminder of our commitment to good governance, the Voter is sharing
                        this excerpt from a thoughtful article published by an Indiana League.
                        The full article includes a clear explanation of the difference between
                        lobbying and advocacy. — editor
                        There’s a difference between government and politics, despite what
                        Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) said in these words, “You can’t take
                        the politics out of politics ...” In fact, we can. We can engage with
                        our government without only appealing to our preferred party, if we
                        even favor one. We can participate on commissions, listen to or read
                        the communications from our mayors, governors, and others. We can
                        read laws that affect us.
                        One critical way to participate in democracy this year is to advocate
                        for fair redistricting. Sen. Cornyn finished that previous provocative
 Page 2
                        statement about politics with “and there’s nothing more political than
Exploration of - League of Women Voters
redistricting.” In short, he meant to say redistricting was a
                    competition between parties to out-maneuver each other. If we want
                    better representation, we citizens need to hold our officials
                    accountable starting with redistricting.
                    Here’s how. First, participate in each decade’s census. With accurate
                    counts, we are allocated fair federal funding and seats in the House of
                    Representatives. Second, call for non-partisan redistricting in the
                    following year. 2021 is such a year. This year’s nine-member
                    commission for redistricting [in Indiana] drew the interest of 300-plus
                    citizens who want a fair vote and zero gerrymandering. While we
                    can’t all be on that commission, we can stay informed via the League
                    of Women Voters, FairVote Indiana, and, in a more entertaining twist,
                    learn via games. Check out gametheorytest.com/gerry/, or play
                    Mapmaker—The Gerrymandering Game online at
                    boardgamearena.com. Third, once we understand the process, contact
                    our representatives, and speak as an informed citizen about why it
                    matters to have a fair vote and how it improves government for all.

Our previous meeting …

Program Planning
Choosing our focus topics and forming action teams
                    by Jary Stavely
                    At least 37 League members and local citizens gathered together on
                    Zoom the evening of January 12, in order to help set local and state
                    priorities for the upcoming 2021-2022 League program year. Co-
                    President Nancy Kleiber moderated the event, and Vice-President
                    Dorine Real served as the zoom co-ordinator.
                    “The League can be a centering ground in this troubled time,” said
                    Nancy, in her introduction to the discussion. She recounted the
                    priorities which the local League had established last year—making
                    democracy work, health services, DEI/racism, and the environment;
                    and explained that one of the evening’s purposes would be to help the
                    California League establish its priorities during the statewide
                    convention in June. LWVC expects to work on housing and
                    homelessness, criminal justice, water, pandemic recovery, and climate
                    change in the coming two-year cycle.
                    Longtime local member Charlene McAllister explained the League’s
                    processes of decision-making for positions and actions—consensus
                    and concurrence. She said that consensus is a “collective opinion, not
                    necessarily unanimous, which reflects an acceptable level of
                    agreement” by the League body which is taking action. It is a process
  Page 3            which often takes a long period of study and discussion among the
Exploration of - League of Women Voters
participants. Concurrence is subscribing to a previously-formulated
                                                              statement or position, usually a considerably shorter process
                                                              (although not necessarily for the original formulators). This is how
                                                              the recent state position on criminal justice was approved.
                                                              The Mendocino County League has reached its collective opinion on
                                                              program planning in recent years through the placement of colored
                                                              dots. Each meeting participant has been given a set of colored dots to
                                                              place on chart paper next to the previously brainstormed potential
                                                              areas of focus which she or he wishes to support through personal
                                                              involvement. At the conclusion, participants have discussed and
                                                              accepted the dot placement as reflecting the will of the group as a
                                                              whole. This year’s virtual meeting was to attempt to reach a similar
                                                              agreement through the “polling” feature of Zoom.
                                                              Dorine screenshared a set of continuing and possible new areas of
                                                              focus which the board had listed at a prior meeting, and they were
                                                              briefly explained:
                                                              • Education during the Pandemic, including the problems of home
                                                                learning, internet access, and student loans
                                                              • Redistricting after the Census
                                                              • Behavioral Health, including how crisis situations are handled,
                                                                oversight of Measure B, and homelessness
                                                              • Responding to the Climate Emergency
                                                              • Foundations of Democracy
                                                                                      Those present were then invited to make their own
                                                                                       comments and suggestions. Some highlights of the
                    Focus Topic Preferences                                            discussion follow. Johanna Jensen of the Housing
  35
                                                                                       Action Team told of the work which it was doing
  30
               important    work                     13                                in identifying resources and creating a directory of
  25                                                                                   housing help resources. John Wetzler, a local
  20                                   8
                                                                                 9
                                                                                       advocate for those with behavioral health needs,
  15                                                 17                                announced an upcoming Measure B committee
  10                   5
                                       14
                                                                                 12
                                                                                       meeting and voiced his concern that the committee
                                                                    3
          4
                                                                    8
                                                                                       has yet to allocate resources directly to the coast,
    5                  7
          5                                                                            so far having committed to a law enforcement
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                                                                                       local Hospital Foundation also expressed the need
                                                                                       for better behavioral health services. George
                                                                                       Reinhardt urged that action on the climate
                                                                                       emergency be focused on how our local region is
                                                                                       contributing to carbon drawdown, and the
opportunities we have to create more employment in implementing
                    and documenting the activity. Fort Bragg City Councilor Tess Albin-
                    Smith offered to co-ordinate climate change activities with the city.
                    Dorine explained how, for her, the foundations of democracy involved
                    more than the national League’s overarching Making Democracy
                    Work, but also re-creating the civility and acceptance of each person’s
                    right to live and work in community—something which has greatly
                    diminished of late. Linda Jupiter stressed the importance of
                    continuing to eliminate racism in our community, and Sydney Grange
                    advocated an emphasis on criminal justice oversight.
                    In the polling which followed, the three top focus issues which
                    participants chose as most important, and which they would act on,
                    were the Climate Emergency, Behavioral Health, and DEI/Racism
                    [shown on the accompanying graph as ’Topic A’ because it was added
                    to the poll during the meeting]. As all the focus issues connect with
                    one another, the polling results will not preclude action and study in
                    other areas, such as redistricting (still a State League priority) and
                    housing (closely related to homelessness and behavioral health).
                    This meeting was the beginning of the process of selecting areas of
                    focus. According to Co-President Cindy Plank, “fine tuning will occur
                    and members will make the final decision at our May Annual
                    meeting. We will continue to keep Voting Rights and Democracy at
                    the forefront, and our League can always lean on adopted local, state
                    and national positions to speak to or support/oppose local issues that
                    may come up.” Several attendees of the Program Planning meeting
                    did not participate in the polling. If you did not have the time or
                    access, and wish to express your preferences as to which three areas
                    the local League should focus on, and which ones you would devote
                    your personal time and effort to, please contact Cindy at
                    cindyplank@gmail.com or 357-4282.

California Focus Topic:

Water
                    The California League’s interest in Water as a topic of concern or
                    focus was listed during the recent program planning meeting [see the
                    preceding article]. Voter readers who wish to learn why are invited to
                    read a short article from the state climate change group’s Water
                    Committee, furnished to us by LWVC Natural Resources Director Diz
                    Swift. It is entitled Managing the Water Under Our Feet:
                    Groundwater, and discusses groundwater drawdown, recharge, and
                    the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Page 5
The Hill We Climb
…If we’re to live up to our own time
                                             The inaugural poem calls us to
                                             meet the moment
                                              Twenty-two year-old Amanda Gorman delivered an
 Then victory won’t lie in the blade
                                              Inaugural Poem during the festivities in Washington on
 But in all the bridges we’ve made            January 20. Co-Presidents Cindy Plank and Nancy Kleiber
 That is the promised glade                   had these thoughts:
 The hill we climb                            “For four years we’ve had a surfeit of prose—provocative,
 If only we dare                              partisan, prideful, prosecutorial and, yes, at times perverse.
 It's because being American is more           On Inauguration Day a highlight (for us) was the poetry.
         than a pride we inherit,              So let’s begin a new period trying to marshal our energies
                                              to move forward with less prose, fewer words, and more
 it’s the past we step into

                       …
                                              poetry."
 and how we repair it.
                                              Read the complete poem;
                                              Watch her give the poem life;
                                              Learn from the poet’s TED talk on “using your voice.”

National Priorities
League Invites New Administration to Share Agenda for 2021
                                 Ahead of the Inauguration, the League of Women Voters of the United
                                 States sent a letter to President Biden and the Transition Team,
                                 congratulating them on their victory and outlining the ways in which
                                                          the League hopes to work together with the
                                                          new administration to advance our democracy
                                                          towards a brighter future for all. After a
 LWVUS Policy Priorities                                  challenging year exacerbated by COVID-19
 • Pass the For the People Act                            and deadlock in the U.S. Congress, our
 • Restore the Voting Rights Act                          democracy faced many trials but stood firm.
                                                          Despite a global pandemic and expansive civil
 • Implement Fair Redistricting
                                                          unrest, more voters turned out to vote than ever
 • Ensure Equal Rights for All (ERA Amendment)
                                                          before in U.S. history. Now, in 2021, a new
 • Comprehensive Immigration Reform                       year also ushers in a new era. At the League, it
 • Address Climate Change Crisis                          is our hope that we will be able to work in step
 • Ensure Quality Health Care for All Americans           with the current administration to achieve these
 • End Gun Violence in America                            initiatives, outlined as follows. At left are the
 • Secure Peace and Climate Justice Abroad                nine LWV priorities aimed at working toward a
                                                          better democracy, together.
                                                         For a full explanation of what these initiatives
Page 6                                                   entail, read the lwvus blog.
Harris Inaugurated
First Woman Elected to National Office
                    On January 20 the California League issued the following statement
                    about the inauguration of Kamala Harris:
                    Today we will witness history as the first woman ever is sworn-in as
                    Vice President of the United States. After a historic election, with the
                    most voter participation ever, America has elected the first woman in
                    the White House, 100 years after winning the right to vote. No matter
                    your political beliefs, this is a moment to celebrate as young girls, and
                    women of color can see themselves running and winning a
                    presidential election.
                    We will continue in our fight to protect our democracy and ensure that
                    women in high offices are no longer the exception, but the rule. Read
                    our blog highlighting this historic moment.

                                                    When folks don’t understand why it’s a
                                                    big deal that Harris is the VP (no
                                                    matter your political affiliation), it’s
                                                    helpful to use a simple visual aid.
                                                    We’re a young country with growing
                                                    pains.
                                                    See the red box? until then, she would
                                                    have been enslaved.
                                                    See the blue box? until then, she
                                                    couldn’t vote.
                                                    The yellow box? until then, she had to
                                                    attend a segregated school.
                                                    And the green one? until then she
                                                    couldn’t have her own bank account.
                                                    This is why change is necessary.

Page 7
Climate Emergency
 Another Youth-inspired Lawsuit Against Climate Change
                    Voter readers who have been following Juliana, the lawsuit filed by
                    young people in Oregon regarding the damage they are incurring from
                    climate change, may be interested in learning about a similar action
                    which was brought by young activists in Portugal. They have filed the
                    first climate change case at the European court of human rights in
                    Strasbourg, demanding that 33 countries make more ambitious
                    emissions cuts to safeguard their future physical and mental
                    wellbeing. The filing took place last September.

LWVUS Statement on Climate Executive Orders
                    More than 1,300 climate-related lawsuits have been filed worldwide
                    since 1990. The most successful so far was in the Netherlands, where
                    the Urgenda Foundation forced the government into scaling back
                    coal-fired power plants and taking other compliance measures worth
                    about three billion euros.
                    On January 27 LWVUS president Dr. Deborah Ann Turner issued the
                    following statement in response to President Biden’s Executive
                    Orders on Climate Change:
                    “The latest executive orders clearly establish climate change as a
                    major priority for our nation. Climate change is the most pressing
                    global issue of our time, and the League recognizes that the federal
                    government is best positioned to lead with climate policies that are
                    consistent with the best available climate science. “This executive
                    order is an important step, which the League supports and hopes will
                    be the first of many in the long and necessary effort to ensure a safe
                    and improved climate system for future generations.”
                    The League of Women Voters sent a memo to the Biden
                    Administration in December outlining the priority areas where we
                    hope to work together including addressing the climate change crisis.
                    Read our list of priorities for the new administration HERE.

LWVUS Climate Teams Need You
                    Diz Swift, of the state Climate Change Committee, is also helping
                    lead the national League’s climate team. She has issued the following
                    appeal for interested League members to participate in the
                    countrywide effort:
                    The League of Women Voters declared a climate emergency and
                    made climate change a key priority at our 2020 Annual Convention.
 Page 8
To advance League action on
                                                                         this urgent issue, we have
 Chairs of Climate Teams                                                 formed a nationwide
 •   Carbon Pricing – Diz Swift, dismoreswift@att.net                    collaboration effort—the
 •   Food, Soils, and Agriculture – Mary O’Kicki, okickim@gmail.com      LWV U.S. Climate Team. We
                                                                         are a large and growing group
 •   Wildfire – Dan Zalles, danroyzal@gmail.com
                                                                         of League members from all
 •   Climate Justice – April Oquenda, apriloquenda@gmail.com
                                                                         but seven states, working
 •   Renewable Energy – Marty Gibbins, mgibbins@lwvwa.org                together to fight climate
 •   Climate Action Plans – Kathy Berlin, kathymberlin@yahoo.com         change. We currently have ten
 •   Transportation – Launa Zimmaro, launa@zimmaro.com                   nationwide teams on subjects
 •   Water – Leona Whichard, lpwhichard@bellsouth.net                    of joint interest. Together we
 •   Health and Climate – Adrienne Wald, awald@mercy.edu                 inform each other, share
 •   Oceans – Carolyn Caywood, cacaywood@cox.net                         information and strategies,
                                                                         and analyze federal
 LWV US Climate Team Co-Chairs – Diz Swift, Eleanor Revelle              legislation and policy for
                                                                         maximum impact.
                                 All League members are welcome. To be added to our email list fill
                                 out the form here. To join the Google Group click on this link and
                                 then click on "Join Group”. If you have an interest, please email the
                                 Team Chair directly. They are listed at right from oldest team to
                                 newest.
                                 Note: The Climate Teams don’t have a presence on the LWVUS
                                 website, but the Climate Change Task Force has made available a
                                 toolkit for local Leagues.

LWVUS Speaks Up
The Senate must hold the ex-President accountable
                                 The US League issued the following statement about the upcoming
                                 impeachment trial in the Senate:
                                 “Although Donald Trump has left office, it is essential that the U.S.
                                 Senate acknowledge that no one is above the law and engage in the
                                 legal process of holding a swift impeachment trial and, when the
                                 evidence bears, convict the former president of his crimes. Donald
                                 Trump violated his oath of office to uphold the U.S. Constitution
                                 earlier this month when he incited an insurrectionist mob to storm the
                                 U.S. Capitol, threaten the lives of both staff and legislators, and
                                 attempt to overturn a free and fair election.
                                 “The Senate must weigh the evidence, serve as impartial jurors not
                                 tied to party lines, and convict him as indicated, ensuring that Donald
                                 Trump is banned from running for federal office again. This will also
                                 ensure no future president can engage in such anti-democracy actions
 Page 9                          without accountability.”
Behavioral Health
County Funds Supportive Services with Measure B Funds
                    In December Mendocino County 3rd District Supervisor John
                    Haschak published the following announcement in his newsletter to
                    constituents:
                    In December, the Board passed Supervisor Williams and my
                    sponsored agenda item to fund two mental health programs. This is
                    with Measure B funds. These two programs are needed whether we
                    have an in-county psychiatric hospital facility (PHF) or not. These are
                    wrap-around services that the PHF will need in order to be successful.
                    The goal is to decrease the number of people needing to go to a PHF
                    and, once released, decrease the number who will need to be
                    readmitted. One is the Community Education, Awareness and Support
                    program which will provide prevention and early intervention support
                    to the community. The other is Crisis Assessment and Psychiatric
                    Hospital aftercare program which is for linkage, care management,
                    and medication management services for individuals needing support
                    to connect to a system of care. More on the PHF will be forthcoming.

Behavioral Health Discussion Begins Online
                    Cindy Plank recently shared via email a message which Val
                    Muchowski had posted to Facebook. It was written by Janelle
                    Hanchett, a blogger and author, who is living in the Netherlands.
                    Been thinking about a conversation I had recently with the head of the
                    psychiatric unit connected to the hospital here. It’s a place where
                    people go if they are having a mental health crisis—like an ER but for
                    mental health. Though it’s part of the hospital, it’s designed to feel
                    more like a hotel so patients feel more comfortable and less
                    stigmatized and institutionalized.
                    When people in the community are having a mental health crisis and
                    the police are called, the police immediately call a doctor from this
                    facility and the doctor drives to the scene. The doctors try to go in
                    regular cars (not ambulances), to “reduce stigma.” He actually said
                    that.
                    The police stay on the scene to help as they can, but mostly they just
                    wait with the person because “they aren’t trained for that and they
                    certainly don’t want them in jails! It’s not where they belong. And
                    they aren’t breaking any real laws.” (Public nuisance, etc., being “not
                    a real law” if somebody is mentally ill. I have observed the reasonable
                    application of laws more than once here—for example, hard drugs vs.
                    soft, personal-use drugs decriminalized but selling is illegal, etc.).
Page 10
If there is violence or potential for violence in the crisis, the
                  psychiatric professional and police work together. Anyway what stood
                  out to me is that it was absolutely obvious and taken as a given that
                  police wouldn’t handle mental health crises because they aren’t
                  trained for it. Imagine that.
                  I know America is massive but I refuse to believe we don’t have the
                  resources to send psych professionals into our communities the way
                  we deploy police, EMTs, etc. But first we have to stop seeing
                  mentally ill people as criminals, the police as catch-all handlers, and
                  jails as reasonable holding locations for sick people (including
                  addicts) who need treatment, not punishment.
                  This message prompted comments from Charlene McAllister and
                  Paula Cohen, recalling the psychiatric health facility which the county
                  used to operate in Ukiah (and the need for which Measure B is
                  supposed to address), and the Red House that served Fort Bragg
                  during the 70’s and/or 80’s. Pat Dunbar commented, “It is just
                  common sense, and what a civilized country would always do. In our
                  country, we put both law enforcement people, and homeless, mentally
                  ill people in impossible positions, to the detriment of all. Until we are
                  willing to invest in services for mental illness, not much will change.”
                  To join the Behavioral Health conversation, let Cindy know about
                  your interest: cindyplank@gmail.com

                                                         Education …
                                                         An article on Edsource explains
                                                         how the new administration
                                                         could help California children
                                                         learn better by relieving their
                                                         anxieties about their families’
                                                         immigration status.

                          LWV Mission Statement
             The League of Women Voters, a non-partisan political
                                organization,
          encourages informed and active participation in government,
Page 11
Vaccination Information
          Meg Courtney has passed along the following information from
          attending State Sen. Mike McGuire’s recent online event concerning
          COVID vaccinations:

          Access to vaccine appointments have been opened up on an on-line
          platform in California. Signing in puts one in line to make a
          scheduled appointment for a vaccine. Initially, Los Angeles and San
          Diego will be the first areas to offer appointments at various locations
          such as pharmacies, hospitals, and doctors’ offices. Beginning in
          February, appointments will be made for the rest of California.
          Importantly, you can go onto the site now and sign in and you will be
          scheduled for an appointment in our region beginning in early
          February. The online platform to receive an appointment for a Covid
          vaccination is: MYTURN.CA.GOV
          Meg adds that 5th District Supervisor Ted Williams has established a
          site for county residents to register for vaccinations at
          VaccinateMendo.com. It allows you to enter information regarding
          your priority in the county tier levels, and promises notification when
          local vaccination events for which you are eligible come up. She and
          Bob Bushansky, as well as several other League households, have
          signed up.
          Adventist Health is currently organizing Mass Vaccination Clinics
          around Mendocino County to help protect our community following
          prioritization guidelines from the California Department of Health
          and Mendocino County Public Health. If you sign up at https://
          form.jotform.com/210268012993050, they will send you an email
          with a link to make an appointment for an upcoming Vaccine Clinic.
          Finally, patients of North Coast Family Health Center (adjacent to the
          hospital) have a way to request being put on a Covid vaccine list: call
          964-4361, press 7, listen to Dr. Miller, then say your full name, date
          of birth and phone number.

                                            •HAPPY•

Page 12
Get Involved
          Vacancy on Fund Oversight Committee                       The Mendocino
          Coast Health Care District Measure C Oversight Committee is
          seeking two members to fill vacancies. Jessica Grinberg and Norman
          deVall, who sit on the MCHCD (formerly MCDH) board, have both
          issued calls for citizens to fill the vacancies created by the
          resignations of Myra Beals and Robert Becker. The committee has
          oversight of the money raised by Measure C in support of the old
          hospital, funds which Adventist Health does not have direct access to.
          This could be a good opportunity for individuals who care about OB/
          GYN services (an issue of concern during the Measure C election)
          and health care in general to make a difference in our coastal
          community. To find out more, contact Jessica Grinberg
          jgrinberg@mcdh.org.

          Hubs & Routes Development Continues                       The Hubs &
          Routes project is seeking a variety of helpers to assist in the
          development of its emergency network. At a zoom meeting for the
          Fort Bragg Island section of the coastal area held on Jan. 25, Jennifer
          Kreger asked participants to help find a) facilitators who can assist in
          the “private hub” sign-ups of map-builders, lawyers, and insurers to
          call on in emergencies; b) public hub leaders; c) nutrition experts; d)
          cartoonists to assist with informational posters. For more information
          about the project, and to find dates and times for informational
          meetings for different potential “islands” in the area, go to
          hubsandroutes.net.

           Correction
           The quote which introduced the story about the County DEI Task
           Force in the January Voter has given several readers the impression
           that there are eight different Latinx organizations represented in the
           task force itself. The quote refers to the group of Latinx leaders who
           originally contacted the Board of Supervisors. It should have read,
           “This past summer, a group of 8 community leaders from several
           LatinX groups came together to advocate for more timely,
           accessible, and professional Spanish COVID-19 information from
           the County, and to request the formation of a task force to look at
           equity, diversity, and inclusion in the County.” Although the DEI
           Task Force has members from a variety of groups which include
           and/or serve the LatinX community, there are not eight separate
           organizations represented on the task force itself. The Voter regrets
           the error, and any confusion it has caused.
Page 13
Sturdy Links
If the link in the article doesn’t work, try pasting the address into your browser. You may need to edit
out spaces.
Advocacy and lobbying: https://www.journalreview.com/stories/between-elections-our-democracy-
still-needs-us,143226?
utm_content=bufferbd80b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
&fbclid=IwAR36bRdNJoFrWsEWoZNqU-pfWivl21GU2Fq7b9kyoWfN-aHbp1hfGD1-KPY
Inaugural poem: https://thehill.com/homenews/news/535052-read-transcript-of-amanda-gormans-
inaugural-poem
  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/watch-amanda-gorman-reads-inauguration-poem-the-hill-we-
climb?
  ted.com/talks/amanda_gorman_using_your_voice_is_a_political_choice/transcript
LWVC blog on VP: https://bit.ly/3sEPUHp.
European youth climate lawsuit: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2020/sep/03/portuguese-children-
sue-33-countries-over-climate-change-at-european-court#
Juliana: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/571d109b04426270152febe0/t/
5e5e6bf0df133120a5b53f9c/1583246321420/Juliana+Press+Release+3-3-20.pdf
Dutch climate lawsuit: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/24/dutch-officials-reveal-
measures-to-cut-emissions-after-court-ruling
LWVUS Climate teams: https://lwvc.org/national-lwv-climate-teams
Climate teams e-mail list: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/
1FAIpQLSdJ3zpze6WqdVpMUKoCiTD9ZagtCeqO7JA1YVAjIGgbsr0yAA/viewform?
vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0
Climate teams Google group: https://groups.google.com/g/lwvus-climate-change?pli=1
Climate toolkit: http://participate.lwv.org/c/9217/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?
content_item_KEY=3805
Immigration and education: edsource.org/2021/immigration-reform-proposed-by-biden-could-
alleviate-anxiety-fear-for-thousands-of-california-children/647335?
Vaccinations:
State: MYTURN.CA.GOV
County: VaccinateMendo.com
Adventist Health: https://form.jotform.com/210268012993050
Hubs & Routes: hubsandroutes.net

Mendocino County League’s website: https://my.lwv.org/california/mendocino-county
League positions can be found at https://lwvc.org/our-work/positions.
To join the LWVMC Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89709597226?
pwd=V25pSUEwOGpHUHpxdmYrRHlrNzJLQT09
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